The Predator’s Contract Partner

“After all, the kids from the temple are really nice, right?”

He clicked his tongue while Nora’s back disappeared.

“Nora… … . is a really nice person. She is right and wrong. She still donates most of her salary to an orphanage. She has a great reputation for helping people with hardships along the way.”

Elisha recalled her past life. After Nora saw her beaten, she asked if she was okay every time she saw her from that day on. Since then, whenever Nora came across her, she politely treated Elisha like a lady with the utmost respect for her, as if trying to set an example for others to do the same.

“Such great people in the world should be guarded. I want to protect such outstanding people.”

“Since you’re from a temple, you’re nicer than you seem.”

“… … But what did she mean by mentioning her knight’s oath?”

“When knights offer their allegiance, they personally exchange a pledge with their master. There is also a gift offered only once from their master.”

She also remembered that it was a promise or granting of a wish a servant could receive.

Usually, one acquired money or weapons. If one did not receive an item, a knight usually received a right instead. For instance, some knights gave their vows of loyalty in exchange for being respected by their masters.

“What oath did Nora take?”

“It’s nothing big.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I become like the other Cartiers, I won’t take issue with her even if she cuts me with a blade.”

Cough cough— Elisha couldn’t help but cough and choke in surprise.

‘Really crazy. That’s right, they were insane like that.’

She often forgot that the people around her were out of their minds.

‘But just before I died, the confrontation between the Gaju candidates and Lucerne was quite serious. Lucerne didn’t choose to win by any means, was he alright?’

It was already an unreachable and lost future, but Elisha couldn’t help but worry about Nora. People who were too naive and inflexible were bound to break.

***

The following week, Elisha was heading to an unexpected place. It was Rosaria’s monastery where she grew up.

Lucerne said he would see Rosaria and asked Elisha if she would like to go with him. She said, yes, of course.

‘I never thought I’d come back to the monastery where I grew up.’

Her heart pounded. Memories of her childhood flashed in her mind’s eye. The only thing that bothered her was that her escort, Nora, donned a grim expression.

Elisha took Lucerne’s hand and got on the carriage.

“I knew you were acquaintances with Archbishop Rosaria, but I didn’t know you were close.”

“She took care of me a lot in my youth. I owe her. She… … . she cares about children.”

Elisha nodded; she knew.

Rosaria was extremely averse to politics but did not ignore a child in trouble. If a young, abused Lucerne was within reach of Rosaria’s power, she would have surely lent a helping hand.

“There was a time when Archbishop Rosaria was my teacher.”

“Really?”

That fact surprised Elisha too. They were disciples of the same teacher; it was something she had never imagined.

“I did not know. Do you often meet her?”

“Only when there is business. There’s something to discuss this time.”

Elisha accepted his words without a doubt.

Soon the carriage stopped, and an old, ancient monastery was revealed. Rosaria ran five monasteries, and the one where Elisha was raised was the largest.

Elisha waited for Rosaria with Lucerne. Rosaria was a tall woman* with gray hair but extraordinary vitality.

[*t1v: it’s the first time in the Korean raws that Rosaria’s gender is mentioned, I previously had assumed she was a man, my bad]

“Are you possibly…..?”

“I don’t know if you will remember me. My name is Elisha, who I learned from Rosaria-nim. Count Lor was my biological father.”

“Oh my goodness, you are back alive!”

Rosaria was thrilled to see Elisha. She looked at Elisha and Lucerne with eyes that did not know where to start or what to do. When she saw Nora, her delight increased.

“The children most outstanding among all the students I raised have all come to visit today.”

Only their master could give such high praise, teaching them academics, swordsmanship, and even political studies. Then, Rosaria looked at Lucerne and Elisha and said with a sigh.

“I see Elisha, you’ve married Lucerne. It is unbelievable.”

“Why teacher?”

“Actually, Elisha was the reason I called Sir Lucerne-nim.”

Lucerne was the High General who held all the military powers in the country so that no one could speak to him recklessly. Even his mentor, Rosaria, addressed him with deference and talked to him in honorific tense*.

[*t1v: honorific tense exists in Korean but not in English. Think of it like someone using ‘please, sir, ma’am’ etc at the end of a sentence. Usually, one addresses teachers/ gods/ kings/ grandparents etc with such honorifics, so that she addresses her disciple with such politeness illustrates how great his status has become and that even his teacher can’t take him lightly.]

‘You meant to ask Lucerne about me today?’

She was amazed. Elisha thought that Rosaria had forgotten about her.

But she even said that she told Lucerne that if he had a chance to please help Elisha, who had been taken by the Cartiers, at least once.

‘You… … . You remembered me.’

Elisha’s heart was touched.

“Thank you very much, Rosaria-nim.”

“Thank you? Don’t say things like that easily. Don’t you resent me?”

“Yes?”